Sorting device for loose leaves



Nov. 28, 1939. T. c. ANDREWS sonwme DEVICE FOR LOOSE LEAVES Filed Nov. :50, 19:58

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INVENTOR. THOMAS COLIMAIV lA/DRE'WJ Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED .STATES PATENT orrlci-z- Thomas Coleman Andrews, Richmond, Va.

Application November 30, 1838, Serial No. 243,055

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My invention relates to sorting devices for separating and classifying loose leaves such as cards, checks or other paper forms upon which records are kept, which are required to be sorted either 5 -into numerical or alphabetical classifications, or other classifications, and as particularly adapted for use with card indexes, time cards, stock cards, costs cards or sheets, pay checks for recording data regarding the workmen in a plant, and is designed to avoid the necessity of manually sorting for the classifying into the various divisions orders or placing the same into numerical sequence.

It would not be practical in this specification to describe the many applications of the invention, which are without number, in which however, the invention may be used without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. Cards of this sort are described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,544,172, issued to Alfred Perkins.

As described in that patent, the data records are provided with a plurality of holes extending therethrough. These holes are punched adjacent one or more or all of the edges thereof, each hole being arranged so that it may be slotted out 'to itsadjacent edge.

Practice has shown that when there is a con- 'siderable space between the slots, the paper containing the data is sufilciently stiff to retain its shape, but it has also been found in practice that when the space is slight, or if the paper is not of stiff fibre, the points or fingers left between the slots, will by usage or abuse, become bent or torn off so that sorting, as described in the Perkins patent, becomes impossible. In that patent, the records are put in the file in the order received and not first manually sorted into numerical order. A wire or needle is then passed through the stack of cards. When the wire or needle is raised, the card or cards required are not raised but remain in the file, whereas all of the other cards are raised, thus readily and invariably separating the desired cards from the remainder.

Obviously, if the condition above referred to occurs, namely that certain of the points or .fingers have become bent or torn off, it will be apparent from the description that the operation of sorting, as described in the Perkins patent, is no longer possible, and the only way the checks or cards can be sorted is manually.

The above condition is particularly true of pay checks which sometimes pass through many hands before reaching the bank, and if, as has been pointed out, the fingers between the slots become torn, it will be impossible to sort the checks except manually. The same is true of time slips and other similar records.

My invention has for its object toprovide slots entirely within the edge of the cards or checks so that there will be no possibility of them being 5 tom or bent until they are placed in the containing case in which they are to be sorted. When that time arrives, the edge of the record sheet is cut off leaving the slots open, as provided in the said Perkins patent, and they are ready for the 10 sorting operation.

A further object is to provide a guide for the cutting of the edge of the sheet.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more fully comprehended by having 15 reference to the accompanying drawing, which is hereunto annexed and is a part of this specification in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a card or check having a single row of perforations adjacent its edge, a 20 number of which have been slotted.

Fig. 2 shows the same card after the edge has been cut away.

Fig. 3 is an isometric perspective view of a container, partly in cross section, showing the oper- 25 ating of the sorting device.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entire specification.

As shown in the drawing, the cards I are provided with a plurality of perforations! which are punched adjacent one edge as shown in Fig.

1 or 2, or they may, if desired, extend entirely around the card. The face of the card, as is usual, is provided with a plurality of designations or classifications, as illustrated. They are nu- 35 merical but obviously they may be of any desired classification, and with any desired sub-classifications. in

When the desired numerical classification has been selected, those holes which indicate the se- 40 lected classifications are additionally perforated, the perforations 3 being so shaped that when the adjacent edge of the card is cut or trimmed away, along the guide line I, the card will appear as shown in Fig. 2 and the slots will extend out to 4,5 the edge of the card. It will be obvious from this description that when the card is formed as shown in Fig. 1, and before it is trimmed, it may be handled as many times as required, be mailed and folded or bent, without the slightest danger of mutilating the fingers, such for example as is indicated by numeral! in Fig. 2. But when they are trimmed, as above described, and the slots extend to the edge when placed in the container 8 and the needle I is passed through the per- 55 forations corresponding to the designated classiflcatlon, all cards so slotted will, upon elevating the needle as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, remain in the container while the unwanted ones will be lifted up and away therefrom.

Having described my invention, what I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of the class described comprising a body of sheet material having a plurality of perforations arranged along an edge thereof and entirely within said body, certain of said perforations extending beyond others towards said edge whereby upon removal of a strip from said edge, any of said perforations which extend beyond the others will open upon the newly formed edge.

2. An article of the class described comprising a body of sheet material having a plurality of perforations arranged along an edge thereof and entirely within said body, the edges of said perforatlons remote from the edge of said body being substantially aligned, the edges of some of said perforations adjacent the edge of said body being misaligned, whereby upon removal of a strip from said edge, any of said perforations which extend beyond the others will open upon the newly formed edge.

3. A card for sorting having a plurality of perforations adjacent an edge thereof, certain of said perforations being altered to form a pattern, said altered perforations extending closer to the edge of said card than the remaining perforations, whereby when that portion of the card intermediate said edge and the tops of said altered perforations is cut away, the altered perforations will open to the newly formed edge and the pattern of the altered perforations will relate to a single classification.

THOMAS COLEMAN ANDREWS. 

